During the next several weeks, ODUSports.com will introduce you to the opponents for the 2014 Monarchs. We begin with a familiar foe, the Hampton Pirates.

ODU vs. Hampton

Aug. 30, 2014 - Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium

The Quick Facts

Location: Hampton, Va.

Nickname: Pirates

First Year of Football: 1902

Conference: Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC) Head Coach: Connell Maynor

2013 Record: 4-8, 4-4

About the Pirates

The Pirates are led by new head coach Connell Maynor, who had an outstanding run at Division II Winston-Salem State. He led the Rams to a four-year record of 45-6 and a berth in the 2012 Division II Championship Game. In his four years as a head coach, he led the Rams to three double-digit win seasons.

Hampton played a pair of quarterbacks last season in returners Bryan Bailey and Jaylian Williamson. Bailey was 96-of-171 for 1,131 yards, nine touchdowns and eight interceptions on the year while Williamson completed 70-of-131 for 676 yards and five scores along with four INT’s.

Jorrian Washington was the leading rusher on the team with 699 yards and five TD’s while Marcus Hampton had 72 attempts for 441 yards and four touchdowns.

The Pirates return the top three leading receivers on the team in Antwon Chisholm, Twarn Mixson and Washington. Chisholm had 49 receptions for 540 yards and five touchdowns while Mixson had 22 catches for 408 yards and four touchdowns. Washington caught 32 passes out of the backfield for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

Hampton loses its top three leading tacklers from a season ago, but does bring back the fourth leading tackler in linebacker Joshua Torne. Thorne had 115 tackles and a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss.

In the NFL

Since 1963, Hampton has had 20 players taken in the NFL Draft, with the highest picks being Justin Durant (Jaguars, 2007) and Cordell Taylor (Jaguars, 1998), who were both taken in the second round. Most recently, Kenrick Ellis was taken in the third round of the 2011 draft by the New York Jets and Kendall Langford, also in the third round by the Miami Dolphins.

The Game

For the fifth time in six years, the Monarchs will open the season at home at Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium. ODU is 3-0 all-time against Hampton, the last meeting a 45-7 victory at Hampton in a game that was stopped in the beginning of the fourth quarter due to lightning. The Pirates are the only team on this year’s schedule that ODU has ever played before.